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Why is IPv4 the cornerstone of the Internet? How has it changed the history of the Internet?
In the past few decades of technological changes, the Internet has profoundly influenced our way of life. Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), as one of the cornerstones of the Internet, has played a vital role. Since its deployment in 1983, IPv4 has become the dominant protocol for data transmission and has set a benchmark in network communications. Despite the promotion of IPv6, IPv4 is still the protocol that roams the vast majority of Internet traffic, which shows its persistence and importance.
IPv4 is not just a simple communication protocol, it is also the cornerstone that connects countless devices and applications, and promotes the birth and development of the entire Internet.
History of IPv4
Before discussing IPv4, we need to understand its historical development. The earliest version of TCP/IP was TCP/IPv3. With the advancement of technology, IPv4 was first deployed on SATNET in 1982 and officially used in ARPANET in 1983. The U.S. Department of Defense selected TCP/IP as the standard military computer network protocol in 1982, a decision that ushered in the beginning of the modern Internet.
Since 1995, the Internet has entered a period of rapid growth, and with it came the problem of consumption of IPv4 address space.
Structure and Function of IPv4
The IPv4 protocol uses a 32-bit address space, which can support 4,294,967,296 unique addresses. Some of these addresses are reserved for special purposes, such as private networks and multicast addresses. IPv4 operates in a connectionless mode and relies on a best-effort delivery model, which means that when a packet is sent, there is no guarantee that the data will be delivered.
The most common form of IPv4 address representation is "four-octet decimal notation", such as 172.16.254.1. This format is not only intuitive and easy to read, but also convenient for recording and communication.
In 2023, although IPv4 is beginning to be replaced by IPv6, the latter remains the most commonly detected network protocol in the world.
Address Allocation and Management
With the rapid expansion of the Internet, the early allocation of IPv4 addresses was significantly insufficient. The redefinition of IP addresses in 1981 created a class-based network management system, which is divided into three categories: A, B, and C. This allocation method allows different types of networks to configure appropriate address space according to their own needs.
Now, with the introduction of Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR), network allocation has become more flexible and better able to cope with the crisis of address space exhaustion. CIDR allows the allocation of addresses of arbitrary length, which strengthens the infrastructure of the Internet.
The Continued Relevance of IPv4
Although IPv6 provides a richer address space and functions, IPv4 still plays a major role in the world for decades. Especially with the development of Network Address Translation (NAT) technology, technologies such as VPN have also helped IPv4 mature and continue to operate.The impact of IPv4 is not limited to the technical level, but also has a profound impact on the economy, society and culture, which cannot be underestimated.
Looking forward to the future of the Internet
It is undeniable that neither IPv4 nor its successor IPv6 can stop the continuous development of the Internet. The introduction of IPv6 is to cope with the increasing demand for device connections, but does that mean that IPv4 will be completely replaced? With the integration and innovation of various technologies, old protocols are still relied on to some extent.
For the future Internet, whether IPv4 and IPv6 can coexist harmoniously will affect the development of the next generation of network applications and our Internet experience. Ultimately, in the face of an ever-evolving technological world, do you think IPv4 will continue to be relevant over the next decade?
